Pamper and polish: Get your feet ready for sandal season

Spring has sprung and before you know it, we’ll be getting ready for beach season. Get a head start on warm weather preparations by making sure your feet look fabulous for sandal season. They may have been trapped inside bulky boots and woolly socks for months, but it’s time to get your toes ready for their close-up. Follow our steps for soft, sexy, summer-ready feet.

Prep and soak

Start by removing any polish that you’re wearing on your toes. Next you’ll want to soak your feet to soften skin and nails. This will also be a nice treat for sore, tired feet – especially the ones that have been shoved into high heels all week. Prepare a small basin filled with warm water. Add a softening agent (bath oil or bath salts) or you can buy a foot soak which is formulated specifically to soften tired, rough feet.

Exfoliate

Use an exfoliating scrub to remove any rough patches that have accumulated over winter. For extra-rough spots (heels, balls of feet) use a pumice stone or foot file to gently smooth and buff the skin. Feet are often neglected when it comes to exfoliating, but like any other area of your body, old skin needs to be sloughed away to stimulate cell turnover and make way for newer, softer skin. And let’s face it, sexy, strappy sandals and rough, dry feet just don’t mix!

Trim and file

It’s easier to clip nails — especially toenails — when they’re damp. After soaking and exfoliating, clip your nails straight across, and then file the corners into rounded edges to smooth rough edges and prevent ingrown toenails, being sure to only file in one direction.Use a scrub brush to clean underneath the nails, and then gently buff them to prepare the nails for polish.

Moisturize

Winter causes skin to dry out so by the time you’re ready to show off your feet in a stylish pair of sandals they’re going to need some serious post-winter hydration. Rather than just slapping some lotion on and calling it a day, this is also a good opportunity to massage feet and calves to further pamper tired, over-worked extremities. Try Carol’s Daughter Peppermint Foot Lotion ($12) to soften and nourish dry, cracked skin.

Now it’s time to polish your toes in a pretty shade of pink and show off your soft, summer-ready feet in a pair of sexy sandals!